Dear MEL Topic Readers,
One death every seven minutes: The world's worst country to give birth
With an estimated population of nearly 240 million, Nigeria is the most
populous country in Africa and the sixth most populous country in the world. Its
population is growing rapidly due to a high fertility rate, nearly five births
per woman, a large young population, and relatively low death rates. However, the
number of Nigeria’s maternal deaths, the death of a woman while pregnant or
within six weeks of the termination of pregnancy, is the highest in the world, with
about 75,000 deaths in a year. Severe bleeding, high blood pressure, infections,
and prolonged or difficult labor are common causes of maternal deaths, along
with unsafe abortions. There were only 121,000 midwives for a population of 218
million in 2021, which is well short of the 820,000 that the WHO recommended for
the country. Also, many healthcare facilities lack proper equipment, supplies,
and trained experts. In addition, many expecting mothers, especially in rural
areas, are reluctant, cannot afford, or don’t have access to hospitals. Since more
and more young girls are growing into reproductive age, Nigeria needs to
improve maternal care urgently.
Read the article and learn how serious maternal death is in Nigeria.
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